During a highly anticipated Sunday Night Football clash between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, the NFL made it official that international superstar Bad Bunny was going to be the performer at the Halftime Show of Super Bowl 60. Set to take place at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, the announcement was met with a ton of understandable fanfare.
However, one of the more immediate reactions was one of disbelief. After publicly claiming that he wasn’t going to be performing in the United States of America just a few months ago, the acceptance to perform at the Super Bowl felt like a complete U-turn from the “King of Latin Trap.” Now, the reason has become clear.
Why Was Bad Bunny Against Performing in the US?
First rising to prominence in 2016, Bunny has solidified himself as one of the greatest Latin rappers of all time, as he’s been the driving force behind making Spanish-language rap music a global sensation.
Successful both commercially and critically, he has three Grammy Awards and 11 Latin Grammy Awards to his name. This year, he is slated to go on the Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, with 23 shows spread across Europe, Australia, Japan, and Latin America.
However, he refused to open his tour further and include dates in the U.S. for one specific reason. As Ari Meirov pointed out on X, “Bad Bunny said in a September interview that he’s not performing in the mainland United States as part of his upcoming world tour due to concerns that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ‘could be outside’ his concerts.”
Bad Bunny said in a September interview that he’s not performing in the mainland United States as part of his upcoming world tour due to concerns that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “could be outside” his concerts. https://t.co/uu0PIuoIdC https://t.co/tVSSr4pUR1
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 29, 2025
With the official announcement of his participation in Super Bowl 60, the Puerto Rican superstar seems to have chosen to circumvent that issue.
“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate — I’ve performed there many times,” Bad Bunny said in an interview back in September. “I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the U.S. But specifically, for a residency here in Puerto Rico, when we are an unincorporated territory of the U.S.”
“People from the U.S. could come here to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world,” he said. “But there was the issue of — like, f‑‑‑ing ICE could be outside.”
Bad Bunny made it clear that this was the main reason behind his refusal to perform in America. With the added security measures of the Super Bowl, there is a possibility that safety might not be an issue any longer.
But the real reason will only become clear once Bunny himself reveals what made him change his mind.
